At the end of May, so-called "head of Crimea" Sergei Aksyonov officially acknowledged a gasoline shortage — a rare case when the occupying authorities did not deny the obvious. Throughout the peninsula, the sale of A-95 gasoline was restricted: no more than 20 liters per day per person. On June 4, cash sales of gasoline were temporarily banned altogether — only with previously purchased vouchers, and even then inspectors appeared at each gas station.
Three strikes on logistics — one effect
Crimea has always depended on external supplies, but now all three routes are under pressure simultaneously. The Crimean Bridge was attacked three times — in October 2022, July 2023, and June 2025. The bridge area is regularly closed "for safety reasons" — on May 16, 2026, traffic was stopped for nearly 11 hours. The overland route through the P-280 "Novorossiya" highway came under drone strikes. Rail connections became irregular: traffic is stopped time and again. The bridge in the Chongar area, which was used for military equipment and civilian transport, was also damaged on June 7.
According to Denis Chistikov, deputy permanent representative of the President of Ukraine in the AR Crimea, products are available on the peninsula, but their cost is significantly higher than in RF territory — due to supply risks and rising fuel costs.
Tourists as a litmus test
The fuel crisis coincided with the beginning of the tourist season — and this made the problem visible to the outside world. Hundreds of tourists who came to Crimea in their own cars before the crisis began cannot find fuel for the return journey. The occupying authorities had to open a special hotline. Russians on social media are massively writing that they will not go to Crimea this year and "sympathize with those stuck there."
"When we talk about fuel shortages, the issue concerns not only those who use cars. Food, product, and service prices are already rising."
— Denis Chistikov, deputy permanent representative of the President of Ukraine in the AR Crimea
Queues, QR codes, and photography bans
The gasoline distribution system turned out to be just as dysfunctional as logistics. QR codes were introduced to purchase fuel through the Russian messenger "Max" — the number of codes was limited, and access to the service required authorization through "Gosuslug." Queues at gas stations stretched for kilometers. People who could not wait for fuel left their cars simply near gas stations. An order appeared to evacuate such vehicles. Photographing queues is prohibited — administrative fines are provided for.
Broader context: not just Crimea
According to Ekonomichna Pravda, since the beginning of 2026, Ukraine has inflicted over 20 strikes on Russian oil infrastructure. As of early May, almost 40% of Russia's primary oil refining capacity has been disabled, which has already cost Russia over 7 billion dollars. Gasoline shortages are also recorded in Kursk, Belgorod regions, Ryazan, St. Petersburg, and in the occupied territories of the "LNR" and "DNR." Crimea in this list is the most vulnerable point because, unlike Russian regions, it has no backup routes.
Even if the flow of tourists decreases in summer, seasonal increased consumption will still exacerbate the shortage — while no new supply routes have yet appeared. The open question is: will the occupying administration be able to stabilize the situation by the end of August — or will the crisis become systemic, when vouchers cease to be a temporary solution and become a permanent institution?
